Finland unveils plan for 200km fence on Russian border

Helsinki: Finland has unveiled a plan to increase security on its border with Russia, including a 200km fence, after the invasion of Ukraine sparked tensions along the border.

“In this situation, we have every reason to reconsider our arrangements,” said Brigadier-general Jari Tolppanen of the Finnish Border Guard agency.

Some 200km of the 1,300km border would be fenced at a cost of around 380 million euros (Rm1.82bil), the border agency said.

The fence will be over 3m tall with barbed wire at the top.

Particularly sensitive areas will be equipped with night vision cameras, lights and loudspeakers, project manager Ismo Kurki explained during a press conference.

The construction is scheduled to go ahead in three phases.

First, a pilot fence 3km long will be built at the Imatra border crossing in March 2023.

Based on that experience, the second phase will see the construction of a further 70km of fence in areas near border crossings, starting in late 2023.

The government has already earmarked in its budget for the pilot scheme and the second phase.

A final phase is planned for completion in 2025 or 2026.

“It is one of the biggest projects ever undertaken by the Border Guard,” he told reporters.

Fearing that Moscow could use migrants to exert political pressure on Helsinki, Nato candidate Finland in July passed new amendments to its Border Guard Act to facilitate the erection of sturdier fences.